


Candles

by DustOnBothSides



Series: Kylux (patchy) Advent Calendar [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Kylo's cooking, M/M, Planet Arkanis (Star Wars), Shore Leave, Snow, Soft Kylux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:41:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27867069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DustOnBothSides/pseuds/DustOnBothSides
Summary: Chancellor Hux visits Arkanis for personal reasons. Supreme Leader decides to tag along. As Kylo learns the reason behind Hux's melancholia, he starts to doubt whether it was a good idea, to insist he'd come as well.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Series: Kylux (patchy) Advent Calendar [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2038434
Comments: 9
Kudos: 60





	Candles

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2 of Kylux Advent. Hurrah. 
> 
> Written almost entirely while listening to the song ' _Winter Evening_ (poem by Pushkin, music by A. Silvestrov, sang by S. Yakovenko).

Even though the Winter Solstice of Naboo was approaching fast and with it all the legendary merry-making the Supreme Leader had fond if rather vague memories of, Chancellor Hux still insisted on taking a shore-leave. 

He brought it up during dinner one evening, and truth to be told, Kylo more or less expected something like that. The Chancellor’s thoughts were guarded as ever, and besides - Kylo promised he wouldn’t go digging around his mind anymore, but one didn’t need to be a powerful force user to notice those distant looks, the heavier-than-usual silence, the shadow which crossed Hux’s face ever so often. 

“I see.” Kylo said simply as he dabbed his lips with a napkin and took a sip of Felucian Traminer. “Where are you planning to go?”

“Oh, just Arkanis. And only for two or three days.” 

“Arkanis. Two or three days. Well, then I’ll accompany you.”

Hux looked up. “No, you really don’t have to.” He insisted, the tone of his voice surprisingly defensive. 

“Armitage. If you really don’t want me there, I won’t pester you. But still I’d like to go with you; if you allow it.”  
The Chancellor opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then he closed it. The Supreme Leader wasn’t usually this… _accommodating._

Both men stared at one-another for a while, but then Hux heaved a sigh and took a sip of his Umbaran Rivaner. 

“Fine. I…suppose it would be unfair of me to shut you out like this… and I’d certainly take offence if you’d do the same to me, but… it’s just a little thing, so don’t expect anything… ah… fabulous or dramatic.”

“I just want to stay with you.”Kylo replied and put his fingers on top of Hux’s. 

This got a vague smile out of the Chancellor that did little to ease the Supreme Leader’s worries. 

They set off the very next day - just the two of them and no one else. 

The ball of churning rainclouds that was Arkanis welcomed their shuttle with some heavy turbulences, and even Kylo, who was piloting, had trouble to get them through the cloudscape in one piece, especially as their descent wasn’t following one of the official vectors. 

They’ve passed Scaparus Port without stopping, as well as several other big cities after that, and proceeded further and further away from any hub of civilisation, human or otherwise. The projected flight trajectory only told Kylo to descend once they’ve reached an endless snowy upland dotted with small lakes of crystal-clear, greenish-blue water. Landing prove to be another test of his skills, as the tiny landing platform was hardly big enough for a small _Xi_ -class shuttle, let alone the _Upsilon_. 

This platform was next to a rather shabby house with roof overgrown by moss and lichen-covered walls in a dire need of a new paintjob. There were no other structures around, just a spindly, scintillatingly white rock that looked suspiciously out of place. Compared to the thick white snowbanks surrounding it, the house seemed fragile and insignificant, yet the fact that it withstood Arkanis’s famously capricious weather spoke of its resilience. 

Hux let the both of them in. Kylo volunteered to start with unpacking, while the master of the house went to the insulated basement to start the boiler. Once filled with a pleasant warmth, the house began to look much cosier. 

As it was getting dark outside, Kylo decided to fix a quick dinner. Creamy mushroom soup, meat and vegetable stew, and some simple chocolate mousse to close it off. While he cooked, he followed Hux’s force signature. It was moving around listlessly even though Hux didn’t seem to be particularly tired. No; the air surrounding him spoke of something different. Nevertheless, these two years they’ve been together taught Kylo that patience tended to bring many more results then prying, so for the good of the both of them, he put Hux off his mind and concentrated on cooking. Once he filled a couple of glasses with mousse, topped them up with raspberry coulis and set them in the freezer to chill, only then did he step out of the kitchen to call out for Hux. 

Dinner was quiet, Hux seemed to be lost in the mire of his thoughts. After they finished, he went to the bathroom to fill the tub with hot water, and then he dragged Kylo in to join him for a bath. It was a mighty tight squeeze, but Kylo couldn’t complain. Not when Hux rested his head on his shoulder, his hair tickling Kylo’s nose. 

Well fed and clean, they headed to the bedroom, and again - it looked like they’d have to make an effort to squeeze the both of them in, for Hux’s single bed was disturbingly narrow. But instead of slipping under the covers, Hux kneeled on the mattress and fiddled with something on the window sill. There was a spark, and a tiny flame painted Hux’s face with a warm orange glow. 

He was lighting candles. Carefully. One after the other.

Kylo started to have doubts whether it was really okay for him to be there. It felt like… it felt like he was interrupting something. But then Hux turned around and gave him a small, tired smile. There was an aura of gentle sadness around him, and of regret. He patted the bed next to him and Kylo wordlessly obliged. 

“Have you seen the rock outside?” Hux asked. 

“Yes.”

“I’ve put it there when I bought this house six years ago. It’s a memorial of my mother.”

“Your-“

“She died during the bombing of Scaparus Port, and just like everyone else, she doesn’t have a grave. None of the dead received a proper funeral - the bodies that were found were just buried under a layer of soil. So I’ve set this stone here in her memory. She would’ve liked it here, I think. Every year around this time, I visit this place and light these candles to let her know I’m doing alright. After all, it’s almost Water-Locking Day here on Arkanis.”

“Oh. I… I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t’ve butted in. I’m-“

“-showing my mom I’m doing twice as well as usual, I think.” Hux smiled and pulled Kylo in for a sweet, gentle kiss. 

Kylo took Hux’s hand, kissed its back, and looked past the candleflame towards where the rock stood. 

“Don’t worry, ma’m. I’ll take good care of Armitage.”

Hux let out a choked laugh and huddled even closer to Kylo. 

Together they stayed awake and watched the candles melt into pools of marble-white wax, and when they woke up the next morning, they found the bed to be just the right size for them.

**Author's Note:**

> This story kind of reflects my Christmas mood of the last two years.
> 
> Kudos and comments will be much appreciated.


End file.
